Sorry for the delay in this chapter, I was spending time with my best mate. Hope you all enjoy. Trigger warning for this chapter

Chapter 3 – What is Happening to Me?

After the degnoming was complete Mrs Weasley called the boys in for some lunch. The three Weasleys and Harry went into the kitchen and sat down around the large kitchen table. Mrs Weasley then placed a huge plate of sandwiches on in the middle of the table and gestured for them to tuck in. Harry took a sandwich and nibbled the corner. Even though Harry had not eaten properly in weeks he didn't feel hungry and just about managed to eat one sandwich without the crust while the rest ate practically the whole plate.

"Arent you going to eat anymore Harry?" exclaimed Ron

"Nah, I'm alright thanks" replied Harry getting nervous, his stomach started to churn.

"But you have only had one!" argued Ron

"Leave him be Ronald" shouted Mrs Weasley, this scared Harry hr felt so bad he made Mrs Weasley shout and fight, he should leave he thought. Harry's thoughts escalated, he was a burden, a freak, a mess not worth being here. The thoughts were so overwhelming that he could no longer focus, everything was so loud, the world was spinning and he was painfully aware than his heart was racing and he could catch his breath. Harry did not know what else to do but run, so he bolted from the room, vaulted the garden fence and went into the small forest near the house.

Mrs Weasley stood up shocked at the small boy running from the house she glanced at the other three boys sat stunned and concerned at the table. Mrs Weasley then rushed out of the house after the boy. She wasn't sure where he went so decided to get the other boys to help her search and hoped that Harry had not gone far, but by the way he was breathing he couldn't have gone too far.

Meanwhile Harry had curled himself into a ball at the bottom of a treestump that was just big enough for him to fit. Tears were streaming down his face now and he couldn't stop it everything hurt, his back and legs and head from the last couple of days he didnt feel hungry and now he was a burden to everyone. Prehaps it was best if he wasn't around anymore. No one would miss him not at all. Harry took a sharp piece of glass he had found on the ground and pulled up his sleeve and cut I to it. One, two, three and more he couldn't stop, it was only after the 6th cut that he had his relief and the panic stopped and calmed down a bit.

Harry sat there curled up for a long while he didnt know where he went wrong okay he had never been happy but was always able to manage his outburst until he could go to his roo. And relieve himself. He looked at the damage to his arm, it wasn't too deep at least and it had stopped bleeding. Harry wanted to stay hidden and not come out. But his attention was grabbed by an unfamiliar voice.

"Hi there Son, what's happened? Are you lost?" Harry started to get overwhelmed again and started to panic. "Hey there, easy does it I'm not going to hurt you, i want to help" the words didn't serm to be go in through to Harry and he started to lose control. Next moment he felt a hand touch his back, he flinched away but he could go anywhere. So the hand stayed on his back and some sort of calming feeling over come him, slowly but surely Harry was able to catch his breath and was able to come down from his outburst. Harry felt calmer than he had done since before he went to rescue the philosopher's stone, he felt some sort of normal. "That's it, well done, how keep breathing deep breaths"

The voice helped him through a couple of minutes of breathing, their hand now rubbing Harry's back gently. Harry had never had that kind of touch before. He did not deserve it but he liked it. Slowly he turned his head to meet the voice and he found a young man with brown hair and blue eyes, he had stubble on his chin and wore jeans, a shirt and a jumper. The man smiled at him and encouraged Harry to uncurl himself and face him properly. Slowly but surely Harry was able to face them man, not quite look at him, he didn't trust adults but this one had helped him so at least he could do is be respectful so he didn't punish him.

"Hey there, lets start again shall we? My name is Gareth, what is your name son?"

"H—Haa-rry" Harry replied shakily

"Alright Harry, what has happened today that has made you come up here and hide?" Harry thought about this for a moment, if he had ever done this at the Dursley's he would be punished, what if the man was only doing this so he could punish him more severely. Or maybe it was because he knew he was a freak already and wanted to hear it from him. "Don't worry harry take your time, I'm not going anywhere" continued the man calmly and genuinely interested and concerned about Harry. The tone oif the mans voice wasn't like any harry had heard before so he decided to give it a go.

"I um was a freak and messed up my friends house by being disrespectful and freaky and I should just disappear and never return"

"Ok Harry its okay deep breaths" Gareth reached out for the boys shoulder as to give him some more calming magic as he could see the boy getting into a panic again. "I'm sure they would be more concerned that you have run away, people do care for you I am sure."

"No one cares" sobbed Harry

"I care" replied Gareth "If you show me the way to go we can go back and I'm sure that they will be worried and so glad that you are alright"

"What if they don't want me back?"

"Harry, they will want you back I promise, I saw a big family searching for something earlier, could that something be you?" This was too much for Harry, he burst out in tears and scratched at his already damaged arm, it started to bleed again. Gareth took Harrys hands and placed them on his knees before placing his hands on his shoulders and giving him some more calming magic. After Harry had calmed down Gareth asked "Can I have a look Harry?" Harry nodded; it didn't look like he had any choice. Gently Gareth pulled up the sleeve to Harry's overlarge hoodie and looked at the damage. "I'm going to clean up the blood okay?"

Harry didn't move but accepted what the man was going to do. Gareth pulled his wand out of his back pocket and waved a cleaning spell over the arm. Looking at the cuts, they did not look too deep but one or two would require stitching. "I'm going to close these cuts, no kind of magic can help self-inflicted wounds okay?" harry nodded and watched as the man gently waved his wand side to side, out of the end of the wand was a small long piece of plastic which sutured his cuts together. He then took a bandage out of his bag and gently wrapped it around Harrys arm before pulling down the sleeve. "All done" he smiled.

"How did you know it was okay to use magic in front of me?" asked Harry

"Ah see this is how I found you, your magical aurora heightened into distressed mode earlier on, I was on a house call in the area and came as soon as I was finished"

"But how can you sense it, no one else can"

"Healers can sense it if they are trained correctly, I have fortunately been trained like that and so I could help"

"Why would you help me?"

"Because I like helping people and everyone deserves to get help and be happy. Now are we going to get you back to your friend's house?" Harry nodded

"Please don't tell them what I have done"

"I'll try my best okay?" Gareth sighed; he would have to tell someone, it was his duty after all. He dried the boy's eyes with a gentle swipe of his thumb and sent some calming magic into the boy while running his fingers through the boys hair. He was surprised when he saw a lightning bolt scar on the boys head, it cannot be he thought, not Harry Potter, Harry should be 12 today but the boy in front of him looked more like 8 or 9. Gareth could not believe that the saviour of the wizarding world was struggling like this and he knew he had barely scratched the surface with the boy.

Gareth then picked up Harry and was surprised that the boy would let him pick him up but also because of how light the boy was. There was only a few wizarding family's around and the closest was the Weasleys so he assumed he was from there. It didn't take long for him to reach the Burrow and was greeted by a overly worried Mr and Mrs Weasley.